18th Annual PMIGLC Spring Symposium

June 2018

Chapter Update

PMIGLC Recognized for High Member Retention Rates

PMIGLC was recognized at the Region 4 Leadership Institute Meeting for first year member retention with a 66.43% retention rate. In addition, the chapter was also recognized for overall member retention. Congratulations to all of our volunteers for contributing to the success of the chapter.

Communications

Assessing the status and needs of the team is fundamental to leading in a particular situation.

To assess your team’s needs:

Speak with team members about the project.

Listen to concerns and comments.

Observe teammates as they complete tasks.

When you listen to and observe team members, pay special attention to their abilities. Take note of their strengths and any task that causes them to slow down or seek help. Also observe their willingness to participate and complete the tasks they were assigned. Identify tasks that each team member is always willing to do and those an individual avoids.

METHODS OF INTERACTION

As you analyze the group’s abilities and willingness in the context of your project or situation, you can make adjustments in the way you lead to accommodate individuals, the team, and the circumstances. There are different methods you can use to interact with each individual on your team.

Leadership designed to fit situational needs can be divided into four styles. They are: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating.

DirectingThis leadership behavior is best when the group’s ability and willingness are low.

Leaders must take a directive role when team members are not willing to try due to lack of confidence or other circumstances.

The leader defines the roles and tasks for all team members and then supervises closely.

CoachingThis leadership behavior is best when the group’s ability is low and willingness is high.

Leaders take into account the ideas and suggestions of team members.

The leader still defines roles and tasks. However, communication is both from the leader to the team and from the team to the leader.

SupportingThis leadership behavior is best when the group’s ability is high and willingness is low.

Leaders seek to understand why particular team members may not be interested in the goal.

The leader supports the team through motivation and building confidence, giving high praise, and making those around her feel good about their accomplishments.

DelegatingThis leadership behavior is best when the group’s ability and willingness are high.

Leaders rely on delegation when team members are competent and motivated.

While delegating keeps the leader involved in decision-making and problem solving, the implementation is left to team members.

Whether it’s for meeting corporate social responsibility, increasing the size of the talent pool, gaining a competitive advantage, or adhering to regulatory compliance requirements, developing and implementing an inclusion and diversity (I&D) strategy is a key focus for employers. As McKinsey & Company found in its 2018 Delivering through Diversity report, there is a clear link between diversity and a company’s financial performance. In fact, the report found that organizations with culturally and ethnically diverse executive teams are 33% more likely to lead their industries in profitability. From a project perspective, team members with diverse backgrounds bring different perspectives to a project, allowing for greater problem-solving capabilities and a more diverse skill set.

I&D is a big focus for my company, a global HR consulting firm. Not only do we conduct large research studies on this and other human capital-related matters, but we believe I&D has a direct impact on our organization’s ability to grow and succeed. As a consultant to many of the world’s largest companies, we also understand that many of our clients place high value on our commitment to I&D. In proposals, for example, we often have to describe our I&D efforts for prospects to assess when determining whether or not to award us their business.

As project managers, we understand the importance of communicating effectively. In an increasingly global work environment, we also understand the challenges of communicating virtually, often with team members in different countries and time zones. Managing an ethnically and culturally diverse team can also present challenges — from scheduling around holidays to navigating verbal and non-verbal communication styles. However, McKinsey’s report indicates that the benefits of implementing an I&D strategy far outweigh the challenges. Furthermore, the focus on I&D is key to helping employers bridge the talent gap that’s expected to grow with the advent of new technologies.